1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a library device to store a plurality of data cartridges including a magnetic tape, magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or a like and to selectively unload a desired data cartridge out of these data cartridges to read and/or write data from or onto storage media housed in the data cartridge by using a drive device mounted internally and to a picker mechanism making up the library device.
The present application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-014389 filed on Jan. 22, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional library device (called a data storage system or a like in some cases) is known which is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-269875 in which data cartridges are stored in a plurality of cells housed in a plurality of magazines and a desired data cartridge is selectively unloaded from these data cartridges, and data stored in the cartridge is read and/or written by using a drive device.
FIG. 15 is a plan view illustrating configurations of a conventional data storage system disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-269875.
A cartridge carrying system 1101 included in the data storage system 1100 shown in FIG. 15 is used to move a data cartridge 1104 between a plurality of cartridge magazines 1102 and a plurality of cartridge reading/writing device 1103. As shown in FIG. 15, the plurality of cartridge magazines 1102 and the plurality of cartridge reading/writing device 1103 are arranged in various positions within the data storage system 1100 in a manner to be approximately U-shaped.
The cartridge carrying system 1101 includes a U-shaped lower guiding member, that is, a lower plate 1108 having a U-shaped lower groove 1107 and a U-shaped upper guiding member, that is, an upper plate (not shown) having a groove (not shown), which are together used to guide a cartridge access device 1105 along an approximately U-shaped path 1106, so that the cartridge access device 1105 gains access to data cartridges 1104 housed in the plurality of cartridge magazines 1102 and the plurality of cartridge reading/writing devices 1103.
The cartridge access device 1105 partially includes a cartridge positioning system 1109 to move the cartridge access device 1105 along the cartridge magazines 1102 and the cartridge reading/writing devices 1103 in various positions (for example, positions 1140, 1140′, and 1140″) so that the cartridge access device 1105 gains access to data cartridges 1104 being housed in the cartridge magazines 1102 and cartridge reading/writing devices 1103.
The cartridge access device 1105 moves along the U-shaped lower groove 1107 formed on the lower plate 1108 (the lower guiding member) and the U-shaped upper groove (not shown) formed on the upper plate (the upper guiding member), that is, along the U-shaped path 1106, by an actuator system 1110. The actuator system 1110 includes a rack pinion driving system having gear racks placed in a position adjacent to the groove 1107 in the lower plate 1108 and being substantially connected to one another.
Moreover, such a library device as described above is equipped with a picker mechanism to bring data cartridges in or from the cartridge magazines and cartridge reading/writing devices. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing one conventional example of such a picker mechanism 1200. FIG. 17 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the picker mechanism 1200 of FIG. 16 holds data cartridges 1240.
The picker mechanism 1200 shown in FIG. 16 includes a feeding section 1210 being made to move in an A1 to A2 direction shown in FIG. 16 by a driving means (not shown) on a main body 1201 and right and left picker arms 1220a and 1220b are provided on both right and left sides of the feeding section 1210. Both the right picker arm 1220a and left picker arm 1220b are configured to rotate and open as shown in FIG. 16 by a cam mechanism (not shown) when the right and left picker arms 1220a and 1220b move to a top end in the A2 direction shown in FIG. 16 and close when the feeding section 1210 starts to move to the A1 direction shown in FIG. 16.
In the picker mechanism 1200, for example, as shown in FIG. 17, with the feeding section 1210 having been moved to a top end in the A2 direction (see FIG. 16), if the feeding section 1210 is moved after the feeding section 1210 has been placed in a position where the feeding section 1210 faces the data cartridges 1240 housed in a cartridge magazine 1230, the right and left picker arms 1220a and 1220b close and their hooks are held in a fixed manner in grooves 1241 on both sides of the data cartridges 1240 and the right and left picker arms 1220a and 1220b hold the data cartridge 1240 and draw the data cartridge 1240 into a main body 1201. The picker mechanism 1200 thus draws the data cartridges 1240 out of the cartridge magazine 1230. The operation of inserting the data cartridges 1240 from the picker mechanism 1200 into the cartridge magazine 1230 is performed in a retrograde order being opposite to the above operations.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 16, the picker mechanism 1200 having the right and left picker arms 1220a, 1220b on its both sides is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-157599.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view illustrating configurations of another conventional picker mechanism 1300 disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei10-040615.
The picker mechanism 1300 shown in FIG. 18 includes a main body 1301 having a female screw section 1301a that can fit into a screw shaft (not shown) and a picker arm 1310 that can rotate about a shaft 1311. The picker mechanism 1300 can move in a B1 to B2 direction shown in FIG. 18 by making the screw shaft (not shown) rotate in a normal or reverse direction. Moreover, the picker arm 1310 is so configured as to be rotational in an arbitrary way irrespective of an arrangement position of the picker mechanism 1300.
The picker mechanism 1300, as shown in FIG. 18, for example, after having been placed in a position facing the data cartridges 1320 housed in the cartridge magazine (not shown), rotates the picker arm 1310 and makes its hook (not shown) be held in a fixed manner in a groove 1321 formed on one side of the data cartridges 1320. The picker mechanism 1300, by being moved in a B1 direction with the above state being kept as it is, draws the data cartridges 1320 out of the cartridge magazine (not shown). The operation of inserting the data cartridge 1320 from the picker mechanism 1300 into the cartridge magazine (not shown) is performed in a retrograde order being opposite to the above operation.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating configurations of still another conventional picker mechanism 1400 disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-251373.
The picker mechanism 1400 shown in FIG. 19, by using a driving force of a motor 1403 and a tensile strength of a spring 1402, has a picker arm 1401 that can rotate about a shaft 1404 in a C direction shown by an arrow in FIG. 19. The picker mechanism 1400 shown in FIG. 19 can be moved by using a driving means (not shown) in a D1 to D2 direction shown in FIG. 19. The picker mechanism 1400 differs from the picker mechanisms 1200 and 1300 shown in FIGS. 16 and 18 in that the picker arm 1401 moves in a vertical direction.
The picker mechanism 1400, as shown in FIG. 19, for example, after having been placed in a position facing data cartridges 1410 housed in a cartridge magazine 1420, rotates the picker arm 1401 and makes its hook (not shown) be held in a fixed manner in a groove 1411 on a lower side of the data cartridges 1410 be held in a fixed manner. The picker mechanism 1400, by moving in a D1 direction with the above state being kept as it is, draws the data cartridges 1410 out of the cartridge magazine 1420. The operation of inserting the data cartridges 1410 from the picker mechanism 1400 into the cartridge magazine 1420 is performed in a retrograde order being opposite to the above operation.
As described above, the data storage system 1100 (library device) shown in FIG. 15 is so configured that the cartridge access device 1105 moves along the U-shaped path 1106 by the actuator system 1110. Therefore, for example, in order to transfer the data cartridges 1104 housed in a certain cartridge magazine 1102 to another cartridge magazine 1102 facing the data cartridge 1104 with the U-shaped path 1106 being interposed between cartridge magazines 1102, it is necessary that the cartridge access device 1105 is moved in a manner in which the cartridge access device 1105 bypasses greatly along the U-shaped path 1106. In the data storage system 1100 configured as above, much time is required for moving the data cartridges 1104 which causes a big problem in improving a processing speed of the library device (Data storage system 1100).
Moreover, the picker mechanism 1200 having the right and left picker arms 1220a and 1220b on its both sides shown in FIG. 16 or a like requires a complicated opening and closing mechanism (not shown) for opening and closing the right and left picker arms 1220a and 1220b to catch the data cartridge 1240 (FIG. 17) and therefore it causes the picker mechanism 1200 and, as a result, the library device having the picker mechanism 1200 to be made large which leads to an obstacle to miniaturization of the library device. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17, in a position where the picker mechanism 1200 transfers and receives the data cartridges 1240, since it is necessary to provide space for opening and closing the right and left picker arms 1220a and 1220b, also causing the library device to become large.
On the other hand, the picker mechanism 1300 having the picker arm 1310 shown in FIG. 18 on its one side does not perform an operation of causing the data cartridges 1320 to get caught by using two picker arms and, therefore, it is not necessary for the picker mechanism 1300 to have such a complicated mechanism as the picker mechanism 1200 shown in FIG. 16 or the like, which, as a result, enables the picker mechanism 1300 to be miniaturized. However, in the picker mechanism 1300 shown in FIG. 18, in a position where the picker mechanism 1300 transfers and receives the data cartridges 1320, the picker arm 1310 must provide space for rotating the picker arm 1310, like a circular arc, about the shaft 1311, which still causes a problem in the miniaturization of the library device.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 19, the picker mechanism 1400 having the picker arm 1401 on its one side that moves in a vertical direction is not suitable structurally for use in the library device being so configured as to house data cartridges 1410 up and down in multiple stages. The reason is that space required to insert the picker arm 1401 and rotate the same has to be provided among the data cartridges 1410 arranged up and down in multiples stages and, as a result, an efficiency of housing the data cartridges 1410 in the library device is low, thus causing the library device to be made large.